Liverpool FC

Football

Liverpool FC are a football team that play in the Premier League, the top division of football in England. They are based in Liverpool, England and are nicknamed the Reds. They have won 5 European Cups, 3 UEFA Cups, 18 League titles, 7 FA Cups, a record 8 League Cups and 15 FA Community Shields.

Liverpool FC Early Years

Liverpool FC were founded in 1892 following a dispute between the committee of Everton FC and John Houlding, club president and owner of the land at Anfield. Everton relocated to Goodison Park and Houlding formed Liverpool FC to play at Anfield. It has been their home ever since.

Liverpool joined the Football League Second Division at the start of the 1893-4 season, which they won and they were promoted to the First Division. They won the League title for the first time in 1901 and again in 1906.

The Reds won the title in consecutive years in 1922 and 1923, and again in 1947. They also reached the FA Cup final in 1914 and in 1950 but lost both.

Liverpool FC – The Boot Room

Their first period of dominance in the modern era began with troubled times in the 1958-9 season when they lost in the FA Cup to Worcester City. Bill Shankly was appointed manager soon after and one of his first acts was to release 24 players. He converted a boot storage room at Anfield into a room where coaches could discuss strategy. The “Boot Room” was to become synonymous with a dynasty of coaches that stretched into the 80s and 90s.

Liverpool FC were promoted back to the First Division in 1962 and won it once more in 1964. In 1965, they won their first FA Cup in their third final, and then in 1966 they won the League once more. The Reds also reached the European Cup Winners’ Cup final but lost to Borussia Dortmund that year.

They won the League and the UEFA Cup in 1972-3, and the FA Cup again the next year. Bill Shankly retired after 14 years at the helm to be replaced by his assistant Bob Paisley. Paisley did the League and UEFA Cup double again in his second season, and then in 1977 Liverpool retained the League, won the European Cup for the first time and missed out on a historic treble in the FA Cup final. They went on to retain the European Cup in 1978 and win the league again in 1979.

During Paisley’s nine seasons as manager, Liverpool won 21 trophies including three European Cups, a UEFA Cup, six League Titles and three consecutive League Cups. He retired in 1983 to be replaced by his assistant Joe Fagan as the “Boot Room” legacy lived on. Liverpool FC won the League, League Cup and European Cup in Fagan’s first season to become the first English team to win three trophies in a season.

Liverpool FC – Heysel and Hillsborough

The 1985 European Cup final was one of two events to change Liverpool FC forever. Before playing Juventus at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Liverpool fans breached a fence which separated the two sets of fans before charging the Juventus fans. In the chaos a retaining wall collapsed, killing 39 fans, mostly Italians. As a result, English clubs were banned from Europe for five years and Liverpol for six. Fourteen Liverpool fans received convictions for involuntary manslaughter in connection with the tragedy.

The second event was to occur during the FA Cup semi final between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest, held at Hillsborough, in Sheffield. Poor policing before the game meant that Liverpool fans were all herded into one part of the stadium that was inadequate to hold such numbers, causing many to be crushed against the perimeter fencing. A total of 96 fans died as a result of the tragedy with massive ramifications for English stadia and football policing.

Since Fagan’s retirement in 1985, Liverpool have won three league titles – the last being in 1989-90; five FA Cups, four League Cups and most famously, the Champions League in 2005.

Liverpool FC Matches, Tips & Predictions

Liverpool FC Jersey and Crest

For most of Liverpool FC’s existence they have played in red – hence their nickname. They have played in red since 1894, having initially played in Blue and White quartered shirts. The Liverpool FC kit was red shirts and white shorts until 1964, when Bill Shankly changed their shorts and socks to red too to carry a “psychological impact” against other teams.

The crest has carried the city’s symbol – the Liver bird – since 1901 but has only been worn on jerseys since 1955. In 1992, to commemorate the centenary of the club a new badge was commissioned, which included a representation of the Shankly Gates. In 2012, Warrior Sports’ first Liverpool kit removed the gates and the flames that had been added to commemorate Hillsborough. The flames were moved to the back collar of the shirt where they surrounded the number 96.

Liverpool were the first English professional club to have a sponsor’s logo on their shirts when they agreed a deal with Hitachi in 1979.

Liverpool FC Roster

Liverpool FC have had many famous players throughout their history. Their record appearance maker is Ian Callaghan, who in 18 seasons between 1960 and 1978 made 857 appearances. In recent times Jamie Carragher (737) and Steve Gerrard (710) have both been synonymous with the club. Other famous names include England internationals Ray Clemence and Emlyn Hughes (both 665 appearances) and Welsh international striker Ian Rush (660).

Rush is their leading goalscorer of all time, with 346 goals in his 660 appearances, followed by Roger Hunt who scored 286 in 492 appearances. In the Premier League era Steve Gerrard scored 186 in his 710 appearances while Robbie Fowler scored 183 in 369.